The 57-year-old bishop-elect has served for the past few years as national ecumenical officer for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. He will succeed the 80-year-old Birmingham auxilary Bishop Philip Pargeter. As auxiliary bishop he will be responsible for six deanaries: Birmingham (Cathedral, North, South and East), Kidderminster and Worcester.

Fr Byrne will be ordained bishop on Tuesday May 13 at St Chad’s Cathedral, Birmingham. He will become the titular bishop of Cuncacestre

The bishop-elect said: “I am deeply honoured and humbled that the Holy Father, Pope Francis has appointed me as Auxiliary Bishop of Birmingham. His example will continue to inspire and shape my ministry in Birmingham, especially to serve the poor, the marginalised and those who may feel alienated from God and society. In the spirit of St Philip Neri – the founder of the Oratory and a saint with a great sense of humour – I am committed to helping share the joy of the Gospel message with others.

“I began my priestly ministry in Birmingham twenty nine years ago and I look forward to renewing my friendships and to making my home once again in this great city. I have a great love for the Malvern Hills and the music of Elgar, so was particularly pleased when I learned that my ministry would include the pastoral care of the Worcestershire deaneries.

“I have been richly blessed in these years by the people that I have met and the work that I’ve been asked to do – as a parish priest, in prison chaplaincy, and latterly as the bishops’ conference’s national ecumenical officer. I look forward to building upon this experience and to working closely with other Christians and people of all faiths and none.

“I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to my Oratorian community for their priestly example, friendship and support. I shall miss them greatly and also the parishioners of St Aloysius parish in Oxford.

“Blessed John Henry Newman, the founder of the English Oratory has inspired me as a priest. I hope in some way to be able to follow his example, particularly in the care and love that he showed for his priests and people.

“I know I can count on the prayer, co-operation and support of the people, the religious and the priests of the diocese. I look forward to working with and learning from Archbishop Bernard and Bishops William [Kenney] and David [McGough].

“I ask for the prayers of Mary Immaculate, patroness of the diocese, together with St Chad and Blessed John Henry Newman as I begin my new ministry as auxiliary bishop of Birmingham.”

Archbishop Bernard Longley of Birmingham said: “I am immensely grateful to Pope Francis for appointing Fr Robert Byrne auxiliary bishop of Birmingham. From his time at the Birmingham Oratory and as provost of the Oxford Oratory, Fr Robert has come to know our archdiocese well.

“Having worked alongside him in recent years as the bishops’ conference’s ecumenical officer, I know that he will bring considerable pastoral, theological and administrative skills to his new responsibilities as a bishop. Above all I am grateful that he brings the spirituality of St Philip Neri, the founder of the Oratory, to enrich his ministry among us.

“I know that everybody in the archdiocese, and especially in his pastoral area of Birmingham and Worcestershire, will join me in asking for the prayers of Fr Robert’s fellow Oratorian, Blessed John Henry Newman, as he now prepares for his episcopal ordination in May.

“I also wish to record my abiding gratitude to Bishop Philip Pargeter for continuing to serve the archdiocese with great dedication in recent years and for the support and friendship he has so generously given me.”

Robert Byrne was born in Manchester on September 22 1956, the youngest son of Sidney and Monica Byrne.

He was educated at St Bede’s College, Manchester, King’s College London and the Pontifical College of St Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum) in Rome.

He initially considered becoming a Benedictine, but entered Birmingham Oratory in 1980 and was ordained priest by Archbishop Maurice Couve de Murville in 1985. He served as chaplain at St Philip’s College, Edgbaston, from 1984 to 1988.

In 1990 he founded the Oxford Oratory, serving as provost from 1993 to 2011.

From 1990 to 1999, he was parish priest of St Aloysius, Oxford.

From 2000 to 2011, Fr Byrne was secretary of the Permanent Deputation of the International Federation of the Congregations of the Oratory.

Since 1996 he as been as trustee and governor of the Oratory School and since 1988 he has served as a prison chaplain.

Comments

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aspiring lay capuchin

Congratulations. I admire the many good bishops there are worldwide. Above that position, they just become church mafia.

cephas2

Fr Byrne, a most kind and approachable priest. Congratulations and well deserved.

kashu

Don’t know Father Byrne, but familiar with the Oratory at Birmingham and go to Confession there; and attend Holy Mass at the Oratory when I can, as I live a considerable distance away. I do hope Father Byrne brings with him the Tradition of the Oratory Fathers as I note he was/is National Ecumenical Officer, etc.,and I trust he is NOT “Ecumanic” which has helped destroy the Catholic Church over the past 50 years! Having many Protestant/Church of England friends I state this with some authority – – that although the ‘clergy’ of each denomination may “get along” with their ‘tea and sandwich meetings’ …. it DOES NOT filter down to the Protestant laity …. that same bigotry is still there – I know because I personally experience it ….. The Roman Catholic Church has lost the ‘respect’ it once had pre-Vatican II. PLEASE SENIOR CLERGY – WAKE UP! Pray that “we may all be one” – but not at any price! It has left our own people utterly confused and the younger generation disinterested, (how often have I heard from them “WE ARE ALL THE SAME NOW!!), Blessed John Henry Newman I doubt would have become a convert today – this is NOT the Church he was so attracted to and so loved. Our Lady of Fatima pray for Us, and Father Byrne!

Guest

This is what Catholicism looks like, speaks like, acts like, believes likes, works like, prays like = feels like – quietly paying up, slowly building up, converting hearts and minds, filling pews and sanctuaries – merriment and dance at the Church hall, son et lumière at the parish procession, praise and worship always .. even in the heavenly silence of Benediction!

Now, with a few FSSP (et al) and Anglican Patrimony (of the sterling English sort) raised to episcopal authority (even in an auxiliary manner) one might yet just live to see the Catholic Miracle emerge once more .. as if by chance, but in fact by grace wrought through faith – and despite some expectations or any remaining ill-will.

God Bless Our Pope! With thanks to all who advanced or permitted this great service.

Pour out Thy grace, O Lord, upon this Thy servant, Robert Byrne, his supportive ministers, and his faith-blessed people.

Phillip

REALLY hope that Liverpool’s new Archbishop is a true, holy man of God and that the watering down and irrelevant way the faith has been presented can be halted.. Please pray that the Pope appoint a holy man. Abbot Cuthbert Madden or Bishop John Arnold for me.

MultitaskingLitigator

How very rude

David

Bishop John Arnold? Are you like serious?

Adam C

Wrong oratory, they were birmingham

Tylers_Twin

Yes but he was brought in to trouble shoot.

Edit: you are right but my understanding is that he was sent to Birmigham to investigate then deal.

MIKE

The poor are not only those truly in need of food, clothing and shelter,
but also those poor in knowledge of Christ and His Church.
The Church is not merely a social services organization, but is intended to Save Souls regardless of background.

The general apostacy today is due to the poor catechesis over the past 45 years, including for practicing Catholics who attend Mass each Sunday. Some practicing Catholics have never read the Bible in entirety, nor even heard of the CCC.

There is no excuse for any Diocese Bishop, or Priest not to regularly and publically encourage all literate persons in his Diocese / Parish to read a ‘Catholic Bible’ and the “Catechism of the Catholic Church” – ‘revised in accordance with the Latin text as promulgated by Pope John Paul II’ in their homes.
No Catholic home should be without a Bible and a CCC.

Pray for the Pope, this new Bishop, and all Bishops and Priests that they save many Souls.

CCC: “133 The Church “forcefully and specifically exhorts all the Christian faithful. . . to learn the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ, by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures. Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ “.

The CCC contains the entire ‘Doctrine of the Faith’ along with the reasons “why” in one book. Footnotes reference back to Holy Scripture.

“GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD” – – –
CCC: “2835 This petition, with the responsibility it involves, also applies to another hunger from which men are perishing: “Man does not live by bread alone, but . . . by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God,”
that is, by the Word he speaks and the Spirit he breathes forth.
Christians must make every effort “to proclaim the good news to the poor.”
There is a famine on earth, “not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.”
For this reason the specifically Christian sense of this fourth petition concerns the Bread of Life: The Word of God accepted in faith, the Body of Christ received in the Eucharist.”

BIBLE: Deut 8:3; Mt 4:4; Amos 8:11; Jn 6:26-58.

diligente

I trust this man is no ‘ecumaniac’.. May God Bless him and his efforts to revive ‘ the old faith’ in this liberal sodden church.

Louis Bertrand

WELCOME TO THE RENEWAL OF MARY’S DOWRY BISHOP BYRNE,

Atilla The Possum

Another Bishop originating from The (straight-talking, no-messing, nitty-gritty) North i.e. The Greater Manchester area … Bishop Mark Davies of Shrewsbury, Bishop Philip Egan and now Bishop-elect Robert Byrne!
And, better still… he is an Oratorian!!!!!! YAAAYY!!!!!!!!!!!
Congratulations to Bishop-elect Byrne and the Oratorians!
Things are looking up! Fabulous!
Let’s keep up the prayers for more bishops etc. worth their salt!

Avril Bonkers

AMEN!

Yorkshire Catholic

The Oratorians have done a really fine job at St. Aloysius Oxford, turning an ossified run of the mill Jesuit town parish into an outstanding pastoral centre. All other things apart, one can get to go to Confession there easily—not the case today in many parishes and even cathedrals. I hope the Oratorian spirit will expand inside the English and Welsh churches. God bless Pope Francis and the Nuncio for this inspired choice.

Sebastian Valfre

I hope he will also serve those who have been marginalised and alienated from God by the Oratorians